JP2006195773A - Information delivery device and information delivery system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information delivery device and an information delivery system capable of effectively delivering sales promotion information without placing burdens on users. <P>SOLUTION: The information delivery system 1 includes a user management device 50 that stores personal information about users registered to use predetermined services provided for sales promotion, and attribute information such as service use registration information showing which of a plurality of services each user is registered to use; a service management device 60 that stores uses of the services by each user; and cash register terminals 10 provided in a plurality of stores for inputting the ID of each user from an ID card 20 that the user carries, when he or she comes to the store to request the use of any of the services, and for obtaining the user information of the user from the user management device 50 and the service management device 60 according to the inputted ID so as to display and report sales promotion information that matches the user information to the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus and an information providing system for providing sales promotion information to a user who has visited a sales place.

In recent years, as an information providing system, there is a cash register terminal that is installed in a store such as a convenience store, displays advertisement information such as advertisements for sales promotion information on a display, and provides the information to users. Has appeared. In addition, there is an advertisement processing system that selects advertisement information desired by a customer based on transaction details and transmits the information to a customer terminal device (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-110653 A

However, since the information providing system that displays advertisements on the cash register terminal performs uniform advertisements for all users (purchasers), the advertisement is not provided to users other than the purchase layer of the advertising target product. There was a problem that the effect was low.
Further, in the advertisement processing system, it is possible to perform an advertisement according to the customer, but in order for the customer to receive the advertisement information, the customer can use a customer terminal device that can communicate with the server via the network. There was a problem that it was a premise and a burden was placed on the customer. Furthermore, since the customer views the advertisement information on the customer terminal, the advertisement effect may be reduced, such as forgetting to see the advertisement information when visiting the store that sells the advertisement target product. Furthermore, when notification is made by e-mail, it is buried in other e-mails, and there is a possibility that the advertising effect cannot be expected. In addition, there is a problem in that it takes time to access the home page to obtain advertisement information. Furthermore, in order to receive only this advertising information, customers must register their personal information and attribute information in advance, which is a big problem compared to the benefits received by risks such as leakage of personal information. there were.
On the other hand, the present applicant has proposed a service providing system that provides a plurality of services to a user (Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-386324).
In this way, when a user uses a plurality of services, the above problem becomes more remarkable, such as a burden on the user.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an information providing apparatus and an information providing system capable of effectively providing sales promotion information without imposing a burden on a user.

  The present invention solves the above problems by the following means. In addition, in order to make an understanding easy, although the code | symbol corresponding to the Example of this invention is attached | subjected and demonstrated, it is not limited to this. In other words, the invention of claim 1 is provided at a sales place and includes user identification information input means (17) for inputting identification information of a visiting user, and identification information input by the user identification information input means. Based on user information acquisition means (11, 16) for acquiring user information including personal information and / or attribute information of the user based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition means An information providing device (10) comprising: information providing means (11, 19) for displaying and / or outputting sound-promoting information at the sales place and providing it to the user.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the information providing apparatus according to the first aspect, the user identification information input means reads identification information recorded on a portable information recording medium (20) possessed by the user. It is an information provision apparatus (10) characterized by having a reading means (17).

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of information providing devices (10) according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present invention, which are provided at each of a plurality of sales places, and a predetermined user. User information storage means (51, 61) for storing user information including information and / or attribute information, wherein the user information acquisition means includes the identification information input by the user identification information input means. On the basis of the information providing system (1), the user information of the user is acquired from the user information storage means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the information providing system according to the third aspect, the user information storage means includes user information on a user who has registered for use with a predetermined service provided for sales promotion. The information providing system (1) is characterized in that the user identification information input means inputs identification information of a user who comes to visit and requests the use of the service.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the information providing system according to the fourth aspect, the information providing unit provides the user with service usage guide information corresponding to the user information acquired by the user information acquiring unit. It is an information provision system (1) characterized by doing.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the information providing system according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the user information storage means is used to register which service of each of the plurality of services is used by each user. And / or service related information including the usage status of the service by each user, and the information providing means is acquired from the user information storing means by the user information acquiring means. An information providing system (1) characterized in that service usage guide information corresponding to the service related information is provided to the user.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the information providing system according to the sixth aspect, the information providing means includes a user's information related to the use of the service according to the service related information acquired by the user information acquiring means. User instruction input means (18, 18) for notifying the user of a service user instruction request for requesting an instruction and inputting the user's service user instruction in response to the service user instruction request provided by the information providing means. The information providing system (1) is characterized by comprising S470).

  The invention according to claim 8 is the information providing system according to claim 7, wherein the user purchase information input means (18, S410) for inputting user purchase information and the user purchase information input means are input. Selectable available service detecting means (11, S440, S450) for detecting a service available by the user's selection based on purchase information and the service related information acquired by the user information acquiring means. The information providing means notifies the user of the service detected by the selected available service detecting means to request the user to select, and the user instruction input means selects the service selected by the user. An information providing system (1) characterized in that selection information to be input is input.

According to the information providing apparatus and the information providing system of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By providing information according to user information including personal information and / or attribute information of the user to the user by display, audio output, etc., advertisement according to the age group and sex of the user, Effectively provide sales promotion information such as advertisements that call for user names. In addition, more effective sales promotion is performed by providing sales information to users who have visited the sales location.
(2) Reading the user identification information from the portable information recording medium facilitates the holding of the user identification information and improves the convenience. By using the information that must be recorded at least on the portable information recording medium as the identification information, the process for reading the information from the portable information recording medium can be speeded up, and the cost of the portable information recording medium can be reduced. To reduce. In addition, leakage of personal information due to theft or loss of portable information recording media is prevented.
(3) Information providing apparatuses provided at a plurality of sales locations share user information storage means and share user information, thereby managing user information in an integrated manner and improving the efficiency of the system. Moreover, effective sales promotion is performed by providing sales promotion information at a plurality of sales locations.
(4) By providing sales promotion information when a user requests the use of a service such as a point service or a campaign service, etc., when the user pays for a product at the cash register terminal, Can use the service and receive sales promotion information, and provides the sales promotion information without burdening the user.
(5) By providing the service guide information corresponding to the user information to the user, the use of the service is effectively promoted.
(6) By providing the user with sales promotion information corresponding to service-related registration information and / or service-related information including service usage status, according to advertisements and usage status corresponding to multiple registered services Effective sales promotion is performed by providing various sales promotion information such as advertisements of various patterns.
(7) By requesting the user's instructions for using the service and entering the user's instructions, the user can be provided with services according to the user's instructions, and the user can easily give instructions. Provide services that meet the needs of users and promote the use of services.
(8) In particular, the user can easily select a service to be used from a plurality of services by notifying the user of a service available by the user's selection and inputting the user's selection information. And improve the convenience for the user.

  The present invention aims to provide an information providing device and an information providing system capable of effectively providing sales promotion information without imposing a burden on the user, and a predetermined service provided for sales promotion. User information including personal information, service usage registration information indicating which service is registered for use, and user information including attribute information such as service usage status Identification information provided by a user information storage device and a user information storage device that is provided at a plurality of sales locations and requests to use the service from a portable information recording medium carried by the user. An information providing device for acquiring user information of the user from the user information storage device based on the information, displaying sales promotion information according to the user information, and notifying the user Realized by the information providing system comprising.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information providing apparatus and an information providing system according to the present invention. In addition, the information provision apparatus and information provision system in a present Example are the cash register terminal 10 and the information provision system 1. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the information providing system 1 is a computer system that manages a plurality of services provided for sales promotion by a plurality of service providers such as a point service and a campaign service. A third party other than the service provider (hereinafter referred to as “management company”), such as a management company co-funded by a plurality of service providers providing the service, performs the management. The information providing system 1 provides various services to the user and also provides sales promotion information. Sales promotion information is information provided to users for sales promotion, such as product advertisements, guidance on services provided for sales promotions, and advertisements.
The information providing system 1 includes a cash register terminal 10, an ID card 20, a communication terminal 30, a Web server 40, a user management device 50, a service management device 60, an application server 70, and the like. The cash register terminal 10, the service management device 60, and usage The person management devices 50, the communication terminal 30, and the Web server 40 are connected by a telephone line, an optical cable or other wired line, or an infrared or other wireless communication line 80, and can communicate with each other.

  Point service means that when a user purchases a product at a store that is a service provider, points are given to the user according to the purchase price, and benefits such as the return of accumulated points to the product price are given. This is a value-added purchase service provided to users. The campaign service is a closed prize that accepts application for a prize according to the number of purchases of the campaign target product, and is a purchase value-added providing service. A manufacturer or the like that manufactures the campaign target product is a service provider. In addition, the types of services provided by the service provider to the user are not limited to these.

The cash register terminal 10 is installed in a sales place that sells products and services such as convenience stores, home appliance mass retailers, storefronts, and temporary spot sales counters, and is used as a service usage window for users. In addition, the information processing apparatus provides sales promotion information to the user. Similarly, cash register terminals 10 are also installed in other sales places.
The ID card 20 is a portable information recording medium and is carried by a user who has registered for use with a management company. The portable information recording medium is a recording unit that records information so as to be readable from a predetermined external device, such as a card with a barcode, a card with a magnetic stripe, an IC card (including a SIM card), an IC tag, and a mobile phone. It is a medium that can be carried by the user. The management company assigns an ID number serving as user identification information to the user who has registered for use, and stores and issues this ID number in the ID card 20 and provides it to each user. The ID card 20 is preferably a portable information recording medium that can communicate with the reader 17 in a non-contact manner, such as a non-contact IC card, from the viewpoint of user convenience. The ID number only needs to be a code that allows each user to be identified from other users. For example, when an IC card is used as the ID card 20, the manufacturing number that is the identification code of the IC chip is used as the ID number. Also good.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating configurations of the cash register terminal 10 and the ID card 20.
As shown in FIG. 2, the ID card 20 includes a recording unit 21 that records the ID number so that the register terminal 10 can read the ID number.
The cash register terminal 10 includes a CPU 11, a memory 12, an interface 14 and the like connected to the bus 13, an external storage device 15, a communication unit 16, a reader 17, an input unit 18, a display 19 and a receipt connected to the interface 14. It is an information processing device for product price settlement including a receipt printing unit (not shown) for printing.
The CPU 11 performs overall control of the cash register terminal 10 by executing programs stored in the memory 12, the external storage device 15 and the like, and adjusts the product price, controls display contents on the display 19, and processes according to each service. Etc. (see FIG. 7 described later).
The memory 12 is a memory such as a ROM that stores basic software such as an operating system, and a RAM that is used as a work area of the CPU 11.

The interface 14 mediates data exchange between the external storage device 15, the communication unit 16, the reader 17, the input unit 18, the display 19, the receipt printing unit, and the CPU 11.
The external storage device 15 is a storage device such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, or a magneto-optical disk. The external storage device 15 stores programs such as data necessary for processing, such as identification information for each product and price information associated with the price, and applications. The external storage device 15 stores a plurality of applications corresponding to the services of each service provider, such as an application for the company company point service, an application for the company company campaign service, and an application for the company company campaign service. The plurality of applications are downloaded to the cashier terminal 10 from the application server 70 managed by each service provider via the communication line 80 and stored in the external storage device 15.

  The reader 17 is a reading device that reads an ID number recorded on the ID card 20. The input unit 18 is a barcode reader that inputs product information such as product identification information to be settled, a keyboard that inputs various instructions from an operator, and a touch panel that inputs various instructions from a user (purchaser). Etc. are input devices. The display 19 is a display device that displays information such as characters and images, such as a CRT or LCD. The display 19 is controlled by the CPU 11 and displays various information such as advertisements, price, and information corresponding to each service, and notifies the user who visits the store and pays for shopping. The display 19 may be provided with a speaker, and information may be notified to the user by outputting sound.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication terminal 30 includes an input device such as a keyboard, a storage device such as a memory, an arithmetic and control device such as a CPU, a display device such as a display (not shown), a PC, a mobile phone, and the like. For example, the information processing apparatus can be used by the user by accessing the Web server 40 via the communication line 80 and performing communication. The communication terminal 30 includes a reader (not shown) that reads and inputs an ID number from the ID card 20.
The user management apparatus 50 includes a communication unit (not shown) that controls communication with the service management apparatus 60, the Web server 40, and the like via the communication line 80, and a personal information management database (hereinafter referred to as “database”). ) 51 and the like, and is an information processing apparatus that manages users, and is managed by a management company.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining information stored in the user information management DB 51.
As shown in FIG. 3, the user information management DB 51 stores personal information, attribute information, and the like for each user. As shown in FIG. 3B, the personal information is information for specifying an individual such as an ID number, a name, an address, a telephone number, and an e-mail address assigned by the management company. As shown in FIG. 3A, the attribute information is information indicating attributes such as the nature of the user, such as gender, age, and service use registration information. The service use registration information is information indicating whether each user has been registered for each service, that is, which service each user can receive.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the user management device 50, when requested by the service management device 60 (service provider), sends it to the service management device 60 via the communication line 80 within the range that can be provided. The personal information of the registered user is provided to the service provider, such as sending the personal information of the registered user. The method of providing personal information to the service provider may be provided by recording personal information on a portable information recording medium such as a CD, and is not limited. Further, the user management device 50 can provide the service management device 60 (service provider) that manages the service subject to the use registration when the service use registration is performed without a request from the service provider. Personal information may be provided within a range, and the timing of providing personal information is not limited.

  The Web server 40 is an information processing apparatus managed by a management company and publishes a service use registration home page for users so that the communication terminal 30 can be accessed via the communication line 80. . The user accesses this homepage with the communication terminal 30 and inputs according to the display, so that the user's service use registration instruction including the user's ID number and service identification information is given to the communication terminal 30. The data is input and transmitted from the communication terminal 30 to the user management device 50. The user management apparatus 50 stores service use registration information and the like according to these pieces of information (see FIG. 5 described later).

The service management device 60 includes a communication unit (not shown) such as a modem that controls communication with the cash register terminal 10 via the communication line 80, a service management DB 61, and the like, and is an information processing device that manages services. Managed by a service provider that provides this service. The information providing system 1 includes a plurality of service management devices 60 and application servers 70 that are managed by service providers that provide each service.
The service management DB 61 stores a service usage status for a predetermined user who has registered usage for the service. The service usage status is information indicating the usage status of the service for each user.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining information stored in the service management DB 61.
As shown in FIG. 4A, in the case of the service management apparatus 60 that manages the point service, the service management DB 61 is associated with the ID number of each user in association with the service usage status such as the cumulative number of points and the point increase / decrease history. I remember it. Further, in the case of the service management device 60 that manages the campaign service, the service management DB 61 associates each user ID number with the service usage status such as the number of purchases of campaign products, the total number of applications for prizes, and purchase history. I remember it. The service usage status stored in the service management DB 61 is rewritten by receiving the processing result of the service at the cash register terminal 10 (see FIG. 6 described later).
As shown in FIG. 1, the application server 70 is a server computer that provides an application for processing a service to the cashier terminal 10 via a communication line 80. The cash register terminal 10 stores an application provided from the application server 70. Further, the application server 70 provides a new application to the cash register terminal 10 when the service content changes, such as when the campaign changes, or when the processing on the service performed by the cash register terminal 10 changes.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information providing system 1 and shows a service use registration process for performing service use registration for a user. A user whose personal information is registered in the user information management DB 51 can use the service for which usage registration has been performed. Hereinafter, the processing of each CPU of the communication terminal 30, the user management device 50, and the service management device 60 will be mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 5, the user who has the ID card 20 accesses the Web server 40 with the communication terminal 30 connected to the ID card 20 in order to perform service use registration (S110). A service use registration screen is displayed on the display (S120). The user operates an input device such as a keyboard in accordance with this display, and selects a service to be used based on the service contents, usage conditions, etc. of each service.

The communication terminal 30 reads the ID number from the ID card 20, inputs a service use registration instruction including identification information of the service that the user wants to use (S130), and transmits it to the user management apparatus 50 (S140). Information may be transmitted from the communication terminal 30 to the user management apparatus 50 via the Web server 40. The same applies to the transmission of information from the user management device 50 to the communication terminal 30.
The user management apparatus 50 receives a service use registration instruction or the like (S210), searches the user information management DB 51 using the ID number included in the service use registration instruction as a key, and does not cause duplicate registration. It is determined whether the registration conditions are satisfied (S220). If the condition is not satisfied, the user management device 50 transmits a message to that effect to the communication terminal 30 and ends the process (S250, S260).

If the condition is satisfied in S220, the user management apparatus 50 writes and stores the service use registration information in the user information management DB 51 in accordance with the service use registration instruction in association with this ID number (S230). . In addition, the usage management apparatus 50 uses the service management apparatus 60 that manages the service indicated by the service identification information included in the service usage registration instruction received in S210, and includes the usage registration including the ID number of the user who performed the usage registration. Information is transmitted (S240). The service management device 60 receives this usage registration information (S310), writes the ID number and the like in the service management DB 61, performs usage registration (S320), and ends the processing (S330).
The user management device 50 transmits the processing result to the communication terminal 30 (S250), and ends the processing (S260). The communication terminal 30 receives this processing result (S150), displays a processing result indicating that registration has been completed normally on the screen (S160), and ends the processing (S170).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information providing apparatus and the information providing system according to the present invention, and shows the service use processing for performing processing for the user's service use and providing information to the user. 7A-7D show the display on the display 19 of the cashier terminal 10 during processing. Hereinafter, the processing of the CPU 11 of the cash register terminal 10 will be mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 6, in S400, the user goes to the cashier counter to settle the product price, and inserts the ID card 20 into the reader 17 of the cashier terminal 10 to use the service. The cash register terminal 10 calculates the product price, inputs purchase information including identification information, price, etc. of the product purchased by the user, reads the ID number from the ID card 20, and inputs the user's service use request. (S410). The cash register terminal 20 transmits the ID number to the user management apparatus 50 and requests provision of user information such as service use registration information, personal information, and attribute information of the user (S420).

The user management apparatus 50 receives this request, searches the user information management DB 51 using the ID number as a key, and reads predetermined user information such as corresponding personal information and attribute information from the user information management DB 51. To the cashier terminal 10.
The cash register terminal 10 receives the user information from the user management apparatus 50, and based on the service use registration information included in the user information, the service management apparatus 60 that manages the service that the user has registered for use. Requests the provision of user information such as service usage status. As a response to this request, the cash register terminal 10 receives user information including the usage status of the service used by the user from each service management device 60 (S425).

  The cash register terminal 10 uses and registers a service that can be used by the user's current purchase based on the service use registration information included in the user information received from the user management apparatus and the purchase information input in S410. From already used services. Specifically, the cash register terminal 10 determines whether the user purchases the current purchase such as whether there is a product targeted for any service among the products purchased by the user or whether the purchase amount is eligible for the point service. Detects services that meet the usage conditions. If there is no service available, the cashier terminal 10 displays advertisement information corresponding to the personal information and attribute information of the user based on the user information received in S420 and S425 (S530), and performs processing. The process ends (S540). Advertising information according to personal information and attribute information includes, for example, advertisements that include the user's name and ask the user, advertisements for products that target the user's age group and gender, and services that the user has not registered Service use promotion information for promoting the use of the information (FIG. 7A).

If no service is available, the process proceeds to S490. If an available service is detected, the cashier terminal 10 determines that one product purchased by the user is one of a plurality of campaigns. The service that can be used by the user's selection is detected. If detected, the cashier terminal 10 displays the detected service on the display 19 and also displays a selection request for requesting the user to select a service to be used (S470, FIG. 7B). The cash register terminal 10 inputs selection information indicating the service selected by the user from the input unit 18 such as a touch panel (S480).
The cash register terminal 10 displays advertisement information corresponding to the user's personal information and attribute information (S490, FIG. 7C), and performs processing for the service used by the user in the current purchase (S500).

  For example, in the case of a campaign service, based on purchase information, the number of campaign target products in the user's purchased products is detected, and the processing results including the identification information of the campaign target products, the number of purchases, etc. The service is transmitted to the service management apparatus 30 that manages the service (S510). In the case of a point service, the purchase amount targeted for points is extracted from the sales information and transmitted to the corresponding service management apparatus 30 (S510). The service management device 30 receives such processing results, updates the service usage status such as the number of campaign target products purchased, the total number of applications, and the total number of points stored in the service management DB 61, and updates the service usage The status is transmitted to the cashier terminal 10 (S510).

The cash register terminal 10 displays the received service usage status such as the total number of applications and the total number of points and the advertisement information on the display 19 (S520, FIG. 7D), and ends the processing (S540).
Note that the stage at which the cashier terminal 10 performs payment for the purchase of the user varies depending on the type of service. For example, if it is a campaign service, it may be before or after the service processing (S500), but if it is a point service, the usage status is received from the service management device 60 before the service processing, and the result is obtained after the service processing. This is performed in parallel with service processing, such as transmission.

In this way, the information providing system 1 displays information such as advertisements according to user information including personal information and attribute information on a display and provides it to the user who visited the store, thereby providing the user's age group, It has become possible to effectively provide advertising information such as advertisements according to gender and advertisements that call for user names. In addition, since advertising information is provided on the spot to users who visit the store, it has become possible to provide more effective information that leads to sales.
Further, since the information providing system 1 reads the user's ID number from the ID card 20, it is possible to facilitate the holding of the user's identification information and improve the convenience. Further, since the user information that must be recorded at least on the ID card 20 is the ID number, the process of reading the information from the ID card 20 can be speeded up and the cost of the ID card 20 can be reduced. Became possible. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent leakage of personal information due to theft or loss of the ID card 20.

In addition, the information providing system 1 may provide advertisements when a user comes to the cash register terminal 10 and requests the use of a service such as a point service or a service such as a campaign service when paying for a product. Since the information is displayed on the display 19, the user can use the service and receive information, and can provide the information without burdening the user.
Furthermore, since the information providing system 1 provides the service usage promotion information corresponding to the user information to the user, it is possible to effectively promote the use of the service.
Furthermore, since the information providing system 1 provides the user with information according to service-related information such as service use registration information and service use status, a service used from a plurality of services that the user has registered for use. It is possible to provide various information to the user and provide effective information such as selecting a service, providing service use promotion information in which a plurality of services are mixed, and the like.

Further, since the information providing system 1 requests the user's instruction for using the service and inputs the user's instruction, the information providing system 1 can provide the user with a service according to the user's instruction and the user. Can easily give instructions, provide services according to the user's wishes, and promote the use of services. In particular, since a user's selection information is input when a plurality of services are selectively used, the user can easily select a service that the user wants to use.
Furthermore, the information providing system 1 is configured so that the cash register terminals 10 installed at a plurality of sales locations share the user information storage means and share the user information. It became possible to plan. In particular, since user information is shared among a plurality of services, it has become possible to improve efficiency.

Furthermore, since the information providing system 1 provides a plurality of services based on the ID number assigned to each user, the user can use the plurality of services only by holding one ID card 20. It has become possible to reduce the burden on users. Further, by making it possible to use a plurality of services with a common ID number, it has become possible to increase publicity and trust in the system, and to increase the number of service providers and users who participate. Furthermore, by reducing the increase in users and the burden on users, the use of services by users is promoted, and service providers can obtain a large amount of valuable personal information without bias.
Furthermore, by sharing a common ID number among a plurality of services, the maximum number of services that can be used with one ID card 20 is made infinite, and the maximum number of service providers that can participate is also made infinite. Became possible.

Also, by performing processing for services based on a common ID number, it has become possible to simplify the system and reduce the burden of construction and management. Furthermore, the information providing system 1 has a common ID number, but is provided with a separate service management device 60 that manages each service, and is managed by each service provider. It is possible to prevent leakage of confidential information related to service provision.
Furthermore, since the cash register terminal 10 performs processing according to the application downloaded from the application server 70 and stored in the external storage device 15, it can easily cope with various services by adding and rewriting the application. It has become possible to improve the versatility of the terminal 10 and reduce the burden on system construction and management.
Furthermore, even when a short-term service such as a campaign service ends, a new application can be downloaded from the application server 70 and the same cash register terminal 10 can be used for the next campaign service. As well as improving the versatility of the system, it has become possible to realize systemization for short-term services.

In addition, the cashier terminal 10 can display the service information such as the processing result on the display 19 to improve the convenience for the user.
Furthermore, by storing personal information in the user information management DB 51 managed by a management company that is not a service provider and centrally managing it, it is possible to reduce the burden of notification due to changes in personal information such as changes in user addresses. It became.
Furthermore, when a user receives a new service, the ID number and personal information already stored in the user information management DB 51 are used, and there is no need to provide the personal information again. It has become possible to reduce the burden on the elderly.

  In addition, by managing the user information management DB 51 by a management company that is not a service provider, the roles of each service provider in the system become side by side, increasing publicity, increasing the number of service providers and users to participate in, It became possible to collect more personal information. Furthermore, the management company that is a third party for the service provider and the dealer easily permits permission to use devices managed by other businesses such as the cash register terminal 10 managed by the dealer as the identification information input means. Therefore, the feasibility of the system can be improved. Furthermore, even businesses that have no contact with users such as manufacturers can provide services in the same way and collect personal information.

  In addition, by arranging the roles of each service provider side by side, a plurality of service providers cooperate to provide services, and a plurality of different service providers provide compatibility with respect to points given to users. It became possible to provide various services to users. As a result, it has become possible to obtain various personal information such as the tendency of combinations of purchased products by users.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, and these are also within the equivalent scope of the present invention. For example, the information providing system 1 includes the cash register terminal 10 as a user identification information input unit, but the user identification information input unit is not limited to this, and may be installed at a sales floor or a store entrance, It is only necessary to be provided so that the ID number can be read from the ID card 20 of the user who has visited the sales place.
The information providing system 1 includes the ID card 20 as a portable information recording medium. The communication method of the ID card 20 may be a contact type or a non-contact type.
When performing non-contact communication, for example, an information providing device (in the embodiment, a cash register terminal 10) may be installed at a storefront or a sales floor, and when the user approaches, the name may be called. .

The information providing system 1 may register a pseudonym such as a nickname in the user information management DB 51 according to each user's instruction, and display the pseudonym on the display 19 instead of the name.
The display content that the information providing system 1 changes in accordance with user information is not limited to personal information or advertising target products. For example, a display of hiragana, a display of animation, The user may be displayed in a large font, the English may be displayed in English, and the content is not limited as long as the display is performed according to personal information and attribute information.

  The information providing system 1 notifies the user of a selection instruction request for requesting selection from an alternatively available service (see FIG. 7B), but requests a course selection of a campaign prize prize, etc. You may notify the service user instruction | indication request | requirement which requests | requires the other instruction | indication regarding a service from a user. In addition, an instruction request for requesting a service registration instruction for instructing registration of an unregistered service may be notified and a service registration instruction may be input from the cash register terminal 10.

  Services provided by the information providing system 1 are not limited to purchasing value-added providing services such as point services and campaign services. For example, the information providing system 1 includes an ID number input device provided at a sales floor, and provides sales promotion products such as product samples and catalogs to users who have entered the ID number from the input device. While providing a promotion offer service, you may provide information, such as an advertisement, to a user.

  The information providing system 1 includes the ID card 20 as a portable information recording medium. However, the portable information recording medium is not limited to this, and can be read by a user identification information input unit such as the cash register terminal 10. As long as the ID number is recorded, the user can carry it. Also, a mobile phone or the like may record an ID number and have a function as a portable information recording medium, and further, registration for use in the system may be performed using this communication terminal 30. Even if the ID card 20 is not issued, the ID number can be stored in the communication terminal 30, and costs can be reduced and user convenience can be improved. In addition, the user sees the campaign poster at the store, accesses the URL for use registration with a mobile phone, registers the use of the campaign service, makes a request for using the campaign service at the cash register terminal 10, etc. Convenience can be improved.

The user provides personal information to the management company and registers the use of the system, but the personal information may be provided to the management company via the service provider. How personal information is provided to the management company is not limited.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the information providing system 1 registers service usage by transmitting a service usage registration instruction from the communication terminal 30 to the user management device 50 (S140), and notifies the service provider of the service usage registration. However, the service use registration instruction may be issued from the communication terminal 30 to the service management apparatus 60, and the service management apparatus 60 may notify the user management apparatus 50, and the content of the service use registration instruction is communicated. It may be transmitted from the terminal 30 to the user management device 50 and the service management device 60.

In the information providing system 1, the reader 17 inputs the ID number recorded on the ID card 20, but the user stores the ID number and inputs the ID number by operating the input unit 18. Also good. The same applies to the communication terminal 30.
The information providing system 1 provides a plurality of services, but the number of services to be provided is not limited. The greater the number, the greater the number of user choices and the more services that can be used with a single ID card 20, improving the convenience for the user and distributing the cost of system construction and management to many service providers. It is possible to reduce the system construction and management costs for each service provider and management company.

  The ID card 20 may include a display unit that can change display contents. It is possible to improve the convenience of the user by displaying the type of service, usage status, and the like.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an information provision apparatus and an information provision system. 2 is a block diagram showing configurations of a cash register terminal 10 and an ID card 20. FIG. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the information stored in user information management DB51. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the information stored in service management DB61. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of an information provision system. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of an information provision apparatus and an information provision system. ~ It is a figure which shows the display of the display 19 of the cash register terminal 10. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Information Providing System 10 Cash Register Terminal 11 CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Memory 15 External storage device 16 Communication part 17 Reader 18 Input part 19 Display 20 ID card 21 Recording part 30 Communication terminal 40 Web server 50 User management apparatus 51 User information management DB
60 Service management device 61 Service management DB
70 Application server 80 Communication line

Claims (8)

A user identification information input means for inputting the identification information of the user who is provided at the sales place,
User information acquisition means for acquiring user information including personal information and / or attribute information of the user based on the identification information input by the user identification information input means;
Information providing means for providing the user with sales promotion information corresponding to the user information acquired by the user information acquiring means and providing the user with display and / or audio output at the sales location;
An information providing apparatus comprising: The information providing apparatus according to claim 1,
The user identification information input means comprises reading means for reading identification information recorded in a portable information recording medium possessed by the user;
An information providing apparatus characterized by the above. A plurality of information providing devices according to claim 1 or 2, provided at each of a plurality of sales locations,
User information storage means for storing user information including personal information and / or attribute information of each user for a predetermined user,
The user information acquisition means acquires the user information of the user from the user information storage means based on the identification information input by the user identification information input means;
An information provision system characterized by In the information provision system according to claim 3,
The user information storage means stores user information about a user who has registered for use with a predetermined service provided for sales promotion,
The user identification information input means inputs identification information of a user who comes and requests use of the service;
An information provision system characterized by The information providing system according to claim 4,
The information providing means provides the user with service usage guide information corresponding to the user information acquired by the user information acquiring means;
An information provision system characterized by In the information provision system of Claim 4 or Claim 5,
The user information storage means includes service usage registration information indicating which service of each of the plurality of services each user has registered for use and / or usage status of the service by each user. Remember service related information,
The information providing means provides the user with service usage guidance information corresponding to the service related information acquired from the user information storage means by the user information acquisition means;
An information provision system characterized by The information providing system according to claim 6,
The information providing means notifies the user of a service user instruction request for requesting a user instruction related to the use of the service according to the service related information acquired by the user information acquisition means,
User instruction input means for inputting a service user instruction of the user in response to a service user instruction request provided by the information providing means;
An information provision system characterized by In the information provision system of Claim 7,
A user purchasing information input means for inputting user purchasing information;
A selectable service which detects a service available by the user's selection based on the purchase information input by the user purchase information input means and the service related information acquired by the user information acquisition means A detection means,
The information providing means notifying the user of the service detected by the selected available service detecting means and requesting the user to select;
The user instruction input means inputs selection information indicating a service selected by the user;
An information provision system characterized by

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